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John White Geary (Includes Two Early Geary Family Letters) Soldier-Statesman, 1819-1873

Tinkcom, Harry Marlin Blue cloth, stamped in gilt. To the front pastedown there is the bookplate of Raymond Riling, well-known dealer and publisher of books on arms. Browning to the endpapers. Otherwise only light wear. The dust jacket is sunned at the spine. Minor chipping to the upper corners and lower, front edge. A couple of short tears to the upper, front edge. Not price clipped. Laid in loose are two original letters relating to Geary. The first is a one-page ALS, headed "Adjutant General's Office, Pittsburg, Jan, 7, 1847. It is addressed to Mrs. M. A. Geary, John White's wife. It is a congratulatory letter upon the "election of your Husband to the distinguished post of Lieutenant Colonel of the 2nd. Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers." It is signed, Very Respectfully, Geo. W. Bowman, Adjt. General. This letter consists of 14 lines. The second letter is much longer, three full hand-written pages. It is written by Geary's brother, Edward, to John and dated in 1856. Interestingly the postmark is from Lafayette, O. T. (Oregon Territory) In itself, this is likely a rare postmark from the Territorial period. At the upper margin of the first page of this letter there is written, "My P. O. Will be "Corvallis Oregon Ty". Edward writes on many topics but there is mentioned the Kansas Nebraska Act, which was passed in 1854. He also briefly discusses slavery. He was against. Each letter has several folds for mailing. The second, longer letter has a small piece missing caused by the wax seal tearing. John White Geary served in the Mexican War as well as the Civil War. He was also the first Mayor of San Francisco, CA and the Territorial Governor of Kansas. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 155 pages
  • $450